Lounging robe



Sept 21 1933?, s. ULLMANN 20%,9425

LOUNGING ROBE Filed May 20, 1957 INVEN TOR.

\SAYMOUR (/41. MAW

Patented Sept. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlfIE,

LOUNGING ROBE Seymour Ullmann, New Rochelle, N. Y.

Application May 20, 1937, Serial No. 143,648=

2 Claims.

My present invention relates generally to garments, and has particular reference to lounging robes.

It is a general object of the invention to provide certain specific improvements in a robe of the character which embodies a turn-down collar and long, sweeping, roll-type lapels adapted to cross each other when the garment is worn. Typical of this general kind of garment is the conventional bathrobe or beach robe, and it will be understood that the term lounging robe as used herein and in the appended claims is intended to include within its significance robes and garments of this general class.

One of the factors contributing to the attractiveness and good appearance of a robe is the graceful, smooth sweep of the long lapels. For this reason, these lapels are usually provided with outer surfaces of attractive and pleasing material,

and it is generally deemed desirable that the lapels be uninterrupted by buttons, buttonholes, and other structural elements apt to impair the continuity of sweep. Accordingly, a robe of this type is usually worn with a sash or other fastening means arranged near or at the waistline, so

that the two overlapping front portions of the garment, including the overlapping lapels, are retained in proper relationship, the upper portion of the garment being relatively loose and free. It is this freedom which distinguishes a lounging robe from a more formal type of coat or dress, and which contributes not only to the comfort of the wearer but also to the attractive appearance of the garment.

However, it is this very freedom which lies at the basis of a disadvantage which my invention now successfully obviates. A robe, by its very nature, is usually worn over pajamas or undergarments or over the bare body, and the loose, unsecured, upper portion has a tendency to open, especially when the wearer sits or lies down or moves about, this frequently causing embarrassment and discomfort.

However, merely to provide a conventional fastener, well above the waistline, would impair the attractive sweep of the garment, would undesirably interrupt the graceful continuity of the overlapping lapels, and would thus detract from the basic attractiveness of the robe.

In accordance with my present invention, I am enabled to provide a specially arranged fastening instrumentality in the upper portion of the robe, slightly above the normal region of overlap of the lapels, which permits the wearer on desired occasions to secure the garment in safely closed condition; the present improvement being, nevertheless, of a character whose very existence is unperceived by the casual observer, and which doesnot in the least impair the desired sweep or general attractiveness of the robe.

This highly desirable result I achieve by the employment of a pair of complementary fasteners (one being preferably a button, the other a buttonhole) which are so arranged that they remain completely concealed at alltimes, whether interengaged or disengaged.

More particularly, I have found that the present objective can be successfully achieved by arranging one of the fasteners on the body of the robe beneath the rear lapel, and the other on the body of the robe beneath the front lapel, inpositions normally concealed by the lapels, respectively; the fasteners being located about midway between the waistline and the neckline, i. e., above the normal region of overlap of the lapels, but not so high as to require drastic distortion of the garment in order to effect interengagement.

Preferably, the fastener beneath the rear lapel is a button, and is located beneath the edge portion of the lapel, so that the button becomes accessible for engagement by merely shifting the fold line of the lapel by a slight amount and thereby reducing the width of the rear lapel by an inappreciable amount.

I achieve the foregoing objects, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, in the manner illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure lis a front elevational view of a lounging robe constructed in accordance with the present invention, shown with the present fasteners in disengagement;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view similar to Figure 1, showing the robe with the fasteners interengaged;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

In the lounging robe illustrated in the figures, the front of the robe body consists of the overlapping portions l0 and II, and I have illustratively shown the robe provided with a sash or belt l2 arranged at substantially the waistline and adapted to maintain the portions l0 and l l in the proper overlapped relationship. A turndown collar 13 merges into the long, roll-type lapels l4 and I5 which converge downwardly in a graceful sweep, and crossing at the region indicated by the reference numeral 22. The front lapel I5 tapers gracefully to a point near or at the waistline, and the sash I2 serves to retain the lapels in the proper overlapping relationship. I have illustratively shown the present robe provided with sleeves I6 and pockets I1, and the lapels I4 and I5 happen to be of the shawl unnotched type. The broader phases of my invention, however, do not require thesedetails to be adhered to. My present improvement lies inthe arrangement of a fastener, such as a button I8, on the "ing to an extent sufficient to uncover the wearer by; an undesired degree.

body of. the robe, beneath the rear lapel I4,

slightly above the region 22, and approximately midway between the waistline and the neckline of the garment. Preferably, tlfis'button is positioned beneath the edge portion of, the lapel, I4,

as indicated most clearly in Figure 3. In the body of the robe, beneath the front lapel "I5, in

substantialalignment wit lrthe button I8, I pro-. vide a complementaryfastener which-I have illustratively shown in the-form of abuttonhole I9. This buttonhole need not be arranged be neath the edge portion of the lapel I5, and, quite to the contrary, it is preferablyarranged nearer to the'fold line 20. y

As will be observed from Figures 1 and 3, the fasteners I8 and .I9 are completely concealed by the lapels I4 and I5, respectively, when the garment is worn in unsecured condition. Accordingly, any ornamental front surface on the lapels I4 and I5 is permitted to show up with maximum effectiveness, without any impairment or interruption of the graceful sweep of the lapels.

In the event that the wearer deerns it desir; able, for one reason or another, to secure the garment more effectively; against inadvertent opening, he merely shifts the fold line 2! by a slight amount, seas to withdraw the edgepor tion of the-lapel I4 from infront of the button I8. In doing this, the width ofthelapel I 41's ob.- viously reduced, but the reduction in widtlyis so slight that it-is scar-cely'noticeable; and, of paramount importance, is the fact that the smooth and graceful sweep of the rear lapel I4 is unimpaired by this adjustment. See Figure 2.

The button I8jbeing5thus accessible for engagement, it is a relatively simple matter to effect an interengagement with the buttonhole I9, as indicated in Figure 2; andwhen the engagement has been effected, both the button-and the buttonhole are completely concealed beneath the front lapel I5. Moreover, the front lapel is, like the rear one, unimpaired in continuity of sweep.

As a result, the garmentassumes the appearance shown in Figure 2, and, while the garment is safely secured against accidental opening, the casual observer cannot perceive any substantial change in the general nature and appearance of the robe; and it is probable that he would not even be cognizant of the fact that the robe is secured at all above the waistline.

I attribute the successful accomplishment of this desirable result to the particular positioning of the fasteners I8 and I9. If these fasteners were nearer the waistline, they would fulfill no equivalent function and there would still be danger of the upper portion of the garment open- On the other hand, if the fasteners were arranged appreciably higher than the approximate midportion, between the waistline and the neckline, an interengagement of the fasteners would require an impairment of the normal graceful sweep of the garment.

general, it willbe understood that changes in the, details, herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of my invention, may be. made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the. invention as expressed in the appended claims. It is, therefore, intended that these details be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense. 1

Having thus described my invention, and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v 1. In a lounging'robea turn-down collarmerging into long roll-type lapels adapted to cross each other; when the robe is worn, means at the Waistlineof the rob'et'o maintain the lapels in crossed relation, a fastener secured to the robe body beneath the rear lapel and slightly above the normal region ofcross-over of said lapels, and a complementary fastener in the robe body beneath the frontlapel, said fasteners when disengaged "being completely concealed by said lapels, respectively, and said fasteners when interengag'ed', being completely concealed beneath said front lapel, whereby the uninterrupted sweep of. said lapels remains substantially the same, whether the fasteners'are interengaged or disengaged. '7 f 2. In a lounging robe, the combination set forth in claim 1, said first-named fastener when disengaged ,lyingbeneath the edge portion of said rear lapel, so thatsaid fastener becomes accessible for engagementby a minimum reduction in width of said rear lapel.

, SEYMOUR ULLMANN. 

